


Take It to the Limit

by NorthwesternInsanity



Category: Music RPF, The Eagles (Band)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Gen, band breakups
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-05 04:15:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15856017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthwesternInsanity/pseuds/NorthwesternInsanity
Summary: Glenn Frey muses on the night he took it past the limit and lost Randy Meisner.





	Take It to the Limit

I wish I could be heartbroken over the departure of Randy. The loss of his incredible voice as well as his painfully shy and peaceful demeanor -soft spoken and down to earth in the way that makes it so a person can't help but love him and want the best for him. But I can't be heartbroken. Because I'm the one who caused it. I'm the one who ran him off.

Nothing -not even the most potent drugs or the best sex -beat the nights onstage when Randy sang and hit those shockingly high notes at the end of his definitive song. There was such a buzz, how the crowd went absolutely nuts, how Joe's face lit up with amazement, and the curl of a smile on Randy's soft, baby-faced features when he realized he'd knocked it out of the park yet again, and the nervous terror of stage fright released its grip on him.

But for me, from the piano bench, looking over at him and hearing those notes was like having an angel standing just left of me. Nothing else can begin to describe it. Just pure euphoria right there in the form of those high notes.

He hated singing it live, because he was always afraid he wouldn't be able to make them. I kept encouraging him. Because it seemed the more worried he was about it, the better he'd perform it that night. 

"No, Randy. You _can_ hit those notes, and you're going to sing it tonight. The audience will want to hear it, and you're underestimating yourself. You can, and it's in the set list. Don and I aren't changing it up. You _will_ sing it, and you'll do fine."

I guess my tough love became so routine that as the situation changed, it seemed like his response wouldn't because the change didn't seem that drastic. When he got that stomach ulcer that pained him and just brought his confidence down further. I thought he could still do it anyway. And I insisted on it. Demanded it of him.

That was how we ended up having the fight. I wish I could erase that scene from my memory. How he stood there in the doorway backstage after we'd gone back and forth shouting at each other, panting, holding his aching stomach, his soft features twisted in an intense combination of fear, anger, pain, heartache, frustration, and just a loss of resolve.

And what he said to me, as he stood there. That was hardly anything in comparison to how panicked he looked, but just drove the whole thing home.

"If that's w- ...Then... that's it, Glenn. That's it. No more. I can't do that song anymore, and if you can't accept that, then I can't do _this_ anymore either. You can find another bass player after this tour, because this is enough. _No more_."

It was an intense night from that point on. Especially after Henley got mad and unleashed his famous Texas temper on him for not performing the song and making it so we had to adjust the set list. That just got Randy more upset. I don't know whether it was because it was simply rubbing it in his face or that he thought I'd ranted to Henley so that he'd give him a hard time. But he was so pissed with both of us regardless of what he thought, and he was dissolving in more anxiety behind his anger than I've ever seen him in.

Joe looked a little disappointed. He always was fascinated by those notes too and made sure the audience knew Randy was behind them and how great he was. But I don't think he wanted to force it on anyone or make Randy do it when he refused to. He hardly even tried to encourage Randy to sing it when he refused -and only after Randy agreed with myself or Henley did Joe give reassuring words to him. More to keep him from getting nervous. But Joe definitely was giving me the cold shoulder that night. He shot dark looks at me backstage as he tried to calm a sweating, shaking, hyperventilating and pacing Randy down.

Felder wouldn't talk either -heck, he wouldn't even _look_ at me that night. He wouldn't really talk to Randy either -only standing by him onstage when the flashes of panic crossed his face. It's beyond me what Felder's thoughts were on whether the song should have been done or not, but it was clear he wasn't pleased with how I'd handled it. And he knew that _I knew_ I could have thought that one through better.

I wanted to hear him take it to the limit, and take me to the limit with him just one more time.

But I neglected my own word of advice to take it easy.

And because of that, I refused to see he was already at his limit. So when I pushed him, it was too far for him. Past the limit for him, and for both of us.

And he couldn't take it any longer.


End file.
